An Open Letter to Chief Communications Officers

"Technology governance is the new leadership platform"

Dear Chief Communications Officer,

As you finalize your 2026 communications strategy, Cometrics' analysis shows we’ve reached a critical inflection point: Purpose-driven messaging has given way to themes centered on technology governance and Artificial Intelligence ethics.

The Great Realignment Is Complete

Technology and AI Ethics themes have grown to represent almost 20% of all Executive and Corporate messaging in less than 12 months, while traditional social advocacy themes declined 9% from 52.8% to 48.3%. This isn't a trend. It's a strategic realignment.

💡

AI Ethics became the #1 corporate communications theme in 2025 at 13.8%, jumping from #4 position in 2024.

Measured by Cometrics' thematic analysis of communications from C-Suite leaders at Fortune 500 companies from January 01, 2024 to September 08, 2025.

Technology Ethics grew 100% from 2.9% to 5.8%. Meanwhile, Diversity & Equality declined by 37% as companies shifted toward broad inclusion themes while abandoning specific advocacy positions. Does this point to shifting politics or fading interest? What does this mean for your 2026 Communications Plan?

💡

LGBTQ+ communications collapsed 72% to just 0.24% as companies systematically retreated from culture war topics.

How This Applies to Your Industry

If you lead communications for a technology company, your stakeholders already expect AI Ethics leadership—failure to dominate this narrative risks credibility erosion. Financial services and healthcare CCOs have the biggest opportunity, as most sector peers remain trapped in compliance-focused messaging while technology governance offers clear differentiation. Manufacturing / industrial communications leaders can leverage this shift to evolve beyond the typical operational messaging toward innovation leadership. For consumer brand and CPG CCOs, the urgency is greatest: sustained social advocacy messaging increasingly carries reputational risk as audiences place more weight on competence than on values signalling. Social advocacy provides reputational risk with minimal strategic upside.

The Bottom Line

The corporate communications paradigm has shifted from values-based differentiation to competence-based positioning. Social advocacy has become table stakes at best, reputational risk at worst. Technology governance is the new leadership platform that cuts across all industry sectors.

Your 2026 strategy should reflect this reality: Lead in technology governance messaging. Maintain social foundation themes for credibility. Eliminate advocacy volatility that creates crisis without competitive benefit.

Quick operational steps for immediate implementation:

Establish quarterly tech governance speaking opportunities for your CEO
Create rapid-response templates for AI/tech policy announcements, need to increase your volume of voice
Partner with your Chief Technology Officer on thought leadership content

Using a custom taxonomy to surface strategic themes and trends, Cometrics.io tracks and analyzes how Fortune 500 companies and executives communicate.